ATLANTA — Loved ones and the Georgia film community are mourning the loss of a father and his two young daughters.
Taraja Ramsess, 41, was killed alongside his 13-year-old daughter and infant daughter in a crash involving a tractor-trailer in DeKalb County late Halloween night. It happened on the exit ramp from I-285 onto I-20 eastbound.
Renowned film director Ava DuVernay took to Instagram to express her heartfelt condolences for Taraja's family and the impact he has had on the film industry.
DuVernay said Taraja was a part of their crew family at ARRAY. He loved making movies and TV shows. He also held many positions in the industry over the years, from working in the art department to a grip to a camera person to a stuntman, DuVernay wrote.
"I remember one day on set, we didn’t have enough Black background actors for a key scene. I had to recruit my crew members to be on-camera. Taraja was the first to say yes," DuVernay wrote in the post.
DuVernay added the beloved father was a kind person, a leader and a light.
"His name is like music. We will continue to sing it. Bless his soul. Bless his memory. Bless his loved ones and the many comrades he leaves here as he journeys on," she wrote.
You can read DuVernay's full message in the post below. An online fundraiser has also been set up for the Ramsess family.